Extreme Makeover Home Edition is known for its tear jerking episodes by building beautiful new homes and giving incredibly generous gifts to deserving families. Their choices of recipients are those that are in dire need of help, like: families with handicapped or sick children; families that are poverty stricken; families with single parents; families that give back to their community; and families that have been victims of natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina.

Oprah’s new show, The Big Give, has also stepped up by engaging ten volunteers to compete by giving to the same types of families. In the first three weeks, the contestants have done an incredible job of acquiring generous gifts and financial assistance to families who need it.

The one type of family that these shows have not forgotten, are U.S. military families. On many occasions Extreme Makeover has helped families of the armed forces who were struggling to make ends meet. A few months ago, Ty Pennington led his team to help a brave former Marine, who was injured in the line of duty. A few weeks ago, they built a new home for a National Guardsman who is still stationed in Iraq. He left to serve our country leaving everything behind including his wife, children, a home under construction and unpaid bills.

During the first two weeks of Oprah’s show, each episode featured at least one military family. In the first show a soldier arrived home after serving our country with no job and no home. He received a place to live and financial help. In the second week, one contestant helped a soldier who returned home injured and without benefits or health insurance, by giving him cash and a party. Hopefully there are more big gives like these still to come.

It is incredibly moving to see troops, who need help, receive well-deserved financial support. Every day soldiers leave their families, laying their lives on the line, to protect and defend our freedoms. While they are gone many of the families are back home struggling to make ends meet while living in substandard conditions with very little money. Some soldiers then return home to situations like: no home, no job, no money and no means to support their family. Scenarios like these are unfathomable and incomprehensible. I cannot think of more deserving families to give beautiful homes and gifts too. We cannot forget our troops and their loved ones that are in need.

Support for our military seems to be greater than it ever has, especially compared to the Viet Nam War. In the past few years, especially since 9/11 and the beginning of the Iraq War, there have been wonderful tributes expressed through beautiful, heart wrenching emails. These certainly need to keep going. All of our soldiers need to know we are behind them.

Unfortunately, in some situations, this is not enough. It seems as though too many military families are forgotten and neglected when they need help. Compared to other noteworthy causes, military families are not considered a very high priority. This is wrong.

I am by no means minimizing the other recipients that television shows and charities give to, especially those victimized by natural disasters or who have sick children. But, when soldiers leave their families behind, with very little financial stability and no decent housing, something needs to be done. And when they return to even less: no job, no benefits, no decent housing, and no money, those that are able to need to step up and help. We simply cannot forget about our troops in need. Quite honestly, I just cannot grasp how they are allowed to come home to those conditions in the first place. It is appalling.

There has been a lot of media hype and publicity surrounding famous entertainers who travel the world donating their time and money to families and children of third world countries. I think these charities and contributions are absolutely necessary and surely need to carry on. The pain and suffering that goes on in these places is unimaginable, especially when it comes to children. Charity like this portrays our freedom and generosity. It indicates how giving of a nation we truly are.

However, my message is this, do not forget our own. Do not forget that we are able to travel all over the world helping those in need because our military keeps us free. As Toby Keith’s song, American Soldier tells us, “Freedom don’t come free.”

So, when those who are in a position to give, are in a giving mood, don’t forget about our military families who are left behind for months at a time, or those that are left behind forever because their loved ones were killed in the line of duty. We need to take care of our own as well as others.

For those that want to admonish this plea because they feel the wars we are involved in are wrong and unjust, remember this. You do not have to support the war, but it is our civic duty and responsibility to support our military and their families. To further paraphrase Toby Keith’s song, we sleep in peace because they are out there protecting us.

I think we underestimate how many men, women and children of our military actually need our help. If we take a step back and think about it, we probably know and have been touched by more military people than we realize. As of April 2007 we had over 1.4 million soldiers on active duty and another 1.4 million in the reserves. This should give you some idea of the magnitude of this civilian call to arms. Remember, just because the military friends and family you know don’t need help, it doesn’t mean others don’t.

I am not rich. I do not have tons of money to give. But, I do have a voice and an ability to write. Plain and simple, something more needs to be done for our men and women of military service who need help, especially by those out there who are able.

I was asked a while back who my heroes were. My reply was this. Any man or woman, who puts their life on the line every day to protect our freedoms, is a hero; especially those who sacrifice everything they have without fanfare or complaints. So, every time I watch a show that gives to men and women of our military I am seeing my heroes being justly rewarded and honored.

The bottom line is, let’s make sure we do not forget about our men, women and families of the military. They give to us every day of their lives. The least we can do is give something back when they need it.

To all of my friends and family who have ever served or continue to serve in the military; to those soldiers I have met in my travels, and to those I do not know, this is for you. Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do. You are all our true heroes. You are why we can sleep in peace tonight. God Bless you!

Below is a list of my family and friends of the U.S. Armed Forces. I’m sure there are many more who I have forgotten or just do not know about. I have tremendous respect for all of them, and they need to know they are appreciated and that they helped inspire this article:

Nicholas Brancaccio (Great Uncle): Army – WWII (D-Day Normandy Beach) & Korean War

Art Lallas (Friend): Navy (1952 to 1954) – Korean War

Babe Cimino (Uncle): Navy (1959 to 1961)

Paul DeCillis (Uncle): Army (1969 to 1970) – Viet Nam War

Bill Stach (Friend): Army (1968 to 1973) – Viet Nam War; Army Reserves 1976 to 1997

Tommy Cimino (Cousin): Navy (1985 to 1989)

Mark Lallas (Friend): Navy & Navy Reserves (1990-1994) – Gulf War

Lee Jacquart (Friend): Army Reserves (1989-1995) – Gulf War

Robert Jacquart (Friend): Marines (1991 to 1995) – Gulf War

Glen Hall (Brother-in-law): Marine Reserves (1993 to 1999)- Gulf War

Zachary Louis Edelstein (Friend): Marines (Jan. 2007 to present) – Currently stationed in Habbiniyah, Iraq